Lunchtime, Health-conscience pizza

     Everybody craves pizza just when we're back on track with healthy eating and exercise.  Here's a recipe for healthier pizza that's quick and delicious!  It's perfect for Saturday afternoon when you're thinking about take-out.

Ingredients:

-English muffin

-pizza/spaghetti sauce

-shredded mozzarella cheese

-your favorite pizza toppings *mushrooms, banana peppers, black olives, spinach, etc.

-olive oil

-dried seasonings...basil, oregano, garlic powder

Directions:

-Broil English muffin halves in the oven for about 2 minutes....just long enough to toast them.

-Top with one tablespoon of pizza/spaghetti sauce.

-Top with cheese and toppings. 

-Sprinkle with seasonings and drizzle with olive oil.

-Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for five minutes.  Cheese should be melted and sauce should be bubbly.

Smashing Pumpkin Ale...updated 11/24/2013

     For our third batch (YES, we are doing two at once), we wanted to celebrate fall and my favorite flavor of beer in the Smashing Pumpkin Ale.  This recipe, also from Northern Brewer, is a five gallon batch of pumpkin spiced amber ale.  We stepped it up with this one by infusing real pumpkin and additional grains to give the beer a stronger pumpkin flavor.
     I absolutely love fall...football, cinnamon, cool weather, and PUMPKIN!  I love pumpkin in my pie, in my coffee, and in my beer :)  We started this beer by infusing the canned organic pumpkin and extra grains into the boiling water.  From there we began the regular brewing process.  Boiling water, hops, malts, spice blend....  In 2 weeks, we will transfer to the second fermenter and wait some more.

Ingredients organized and ready to go

***UPDATE!  The Smashing Pumpkin has made its way to the second fermenter!  2-4 more weeks before we bottle. :)  Can't wait!***

***UPDATE! The Smashing Pumpkin has made it to the bottles!  2 more weeks until tasting :)  Just in time for Thanksgiving (kind of)!

***UPDATE!  The Smashing Pumpkin has been tasted and approved!  Excellent pour consistency and great color.  Smells like pumpkin, cinnamon spice with a similar after taste.  Very close taste to Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale.  We are very happy with how it turned out and look forward to the next recipe!

Easy asparagus side dish

     My favorite vegetables in the world are roasted broccoli and roasted asparagus.  I came up with this simple side dish to save some fresh asparagus from the trashcan.  I really kind of just threw in some of my favorite things and popped it in the oven.  Now this side dish is a staple in my house!  It's so delicious and easy!

Ingredients: I don't really know the measurements....It's all relative to how much asparagus you are making.  Just eyeball it!
Fresh asparagus, with tough ends trimmed
Black olives, sliced
Lite balsamic vinaigrette
Reduced fat, crumbled feta

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a cookie sheet with canola oil nonstick spray.  Lay asparagus spears in one layer.  Drizzle enough vinaigrette to coated the vegetables.  With clean hands, toss asparagus around but make sure they return to a single layer.  Sprinkle feta and olives over the top.  Place into a preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.  You want the asparagus to be soft but not burnt.  There will be a little sizzle from the dressing.